Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Policy
Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities
Report from a task force created by the American Hospital Association (AHA) charged with identifying access-related challenges facing vulnerable communities and examining ways in which hospitals can ensure access is maintained. Includes sections identifying characteristics of vulnerable rural and underserved communities, essential healthcare services to be maintained, emerging strategies, barriers to implementation, policy and advocacy issues, and more. Includes examples of emerging strategies and best practices from around the U.S.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Rural Chart Pack, Video
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Report from a task force created by the American Hospital Association (AHA) charged with identifying access-related challenges facing vulnerable communities and examining ways in which hospitals can ensure access is maintained. Includes sections identifying characteristics of vulnerable rural and underserved communities, essential healthcare services to be maintained, emerging strategies, barriers to implementation, policy and advocacy issues, and more. Includes examples of emerging strategies and best practices from around the U.S.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Rural Chart Pack, Video
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Freestanding Emergency Departments: An Alternative Model for Rural Communities
Describes the freestanding emergency department (FSED) model as an option for rural communities that can no longer support inpatient services. Looks at both hospital-based and independent FSEDs, examines financial viability of the model, and features rural FSEDs in Illinois and Arizona.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Describes the freestanding emergency department (FSED) model as an option for rural communities that can no longer support inpatient services. Looks at both hospital-based and independent FSEDs, examines financial viability of the model, and features rural FSEDs in Illinois and Arizona.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Evaluation of Policy Options for Increasing the Availability of Primary Care Services in Rural Washington State
Analyzes policy options that the Washington state legislature has considered to address a perceived shortage of primary care physicians in rural Washington. Provides background on the rural primary care workforce within the state and projects the impacts each policy option would have through 2025. Policy options considered include: opening a new medical school at Washington State University (WSU), increasing the number of residency positions in the state, increasing loan repayment incentives to encourage rural practice, increasing Medicaid payment rates for rural physicians, and encouraging the use of alternative primary care models.
Additional links: Summary and Key Findings
Author(s): Mark W. Friedberg, Grant R. Martsolf, Chapin White, et al.
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Analyzes policy options that the Washington state legislature has considered to address a perceived shortage of primary care physicians in rural Washington. Provides background on the rural primary care workforce within the state and projects the impacts each policy option would have through 2025. Policy options considered include: opening a new medical school at Washington State University (WSU), increasing the number of residency positions in the state, increasing loan repayment incentives to encourage rural practice, increasing Medicaid payment rates for rural physicians, and encouraging the use of alternative primary care models.
Additional links: Summary and Key Findings
Author(s): Mark W. Friedberg, Grant R. Martsolf, Chapin White, et al.
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Building on the History of the State Offices of Rural Health: Celebrating 25 Years of Service
Provides an overview of the history of the State Offices of Rural Health program and National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. Highlights the work of the SORHs in Minnesota, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Provides an overview of the history of the State Offices of Rural Health program and National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health. Highlights the work of the SORHs in Minnesota, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2016
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Health Insurance CO-OPs: Product Availability and Premiums in Rural Counties
Describes the role of CO-OPs, their regional distribution, and national prevalence in rural and urban counties. Compares the number of products available in counties with and without CO-OP plans in 2014 and 2015.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Zachariah Croll, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Describes the role of CO-OPs, their regional distribution, and national prevalence in rural and urban counties. Compares the number of products available in counties with and without CO-OP plans in 2014 and 2015.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Zachariah Croll, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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The Impact of the Low Volume Hospital (LVH) Program on the Viability of Small, Rural Hospitals
Compares rural low volume hospitals (LVH) with non-LVH (Inpatient Prospective Payment System) hospitals. Discusses the financial impact of removing the LVH program and returning to the 2005 LVH classification and payment adjustment, and the effect this will have on Medicare beneficiaries.
Author(s): Rebecca G. Whitaker, G. Mark Holmes, George H. Pink
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Compares rural low volume hospitals (LVH) with non-LVH (Inpatient Prospective Payment System) hospitals. Discusses the financial impact of removing the LVH program and returning to the 2005 LVH classification and payment adjustment, and the effect this will have on Medicare beneficiaries.
Author(s): Rebecca G. Whitaker, G. Mark Holmes, George H. Pink
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Rural Hospital Participation and Performance in Value-Based Purchasing and Other Delivery System Reform Initiatives
Reports on the participation of delivery system reform initiatives by rural hospitals, and discusses the supporting factors and challenges for successful participation. Includes data comparing rural and urban Hospital Value-Based Payment (HVBP) performance.
Author(s): Karen E. Joynt, Nguyen Nguyen, Lok Wong Samson, et al.
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Reports on the participation of delivery system reform initiatives by rural hospitals, and discusses the supporting factors and challenges for successful participation. Includes data comparing rural and urban Hospital Value-Based Payment (HVBP) performance.
Author(s): Karen E. Joynt, Nguyen Nguyen, Lok Wong Samson, et al.
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Rural Strategies That Work: Lifting up Federal Policies That Are Responsive to the Assets and Challenges of Rural America
Memorandum to the Obama-era White House Rural Council member agencies outlining strategies for the design and delivery of programs in rural America to meet the contemporary challenges of the nation and the unique challenges faced by rural communities. Discusses how policies can address the issues of geographic isolation (including travel to healthcare), limited financial resources, low population density, and poverty.
Author(s): Tom Vilsack, Shaun Donovan, Cecilia Muñoz, Jeffrey Zients
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: White House Rural Council (Obama Administration)
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Memorandum to the Obama-era White House Rural Council member agencies outlining strategies for the design and delivery of programs in rural America to meet the contemporary challenges of the nation and the unique challenges faced by rural communities. Discusses how policies can address the issues of geographic isolation (including travel to healthcare), limited financial resources, low population density, and poverty.
Author(s): Tom Vilsack, Shaun Donovan, Cecilia Muñoz, Jeffrey Zients
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: White House Rural Council (Obama Administration)
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Indian Health Service Hospitals: More Monitoring Needed to Ensure Quality Care
Explores concerns about inadequate healthcare quality provided in Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals. Makes recommendations for implementing several oversight measures and identifies problem areas that will need to be addressed in order to improve healthcare quality in IHS hospitals. See companion report: Indian Health Service Hospitals: Longstanding Challenges Warrant Focused Attention to Support Quality Care. Focuses on challenges related to quality reporting, Area Office vacancies, and health information technology.
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Explores concerns about inadequate healthcare quality provided in Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals. Makes recommendations for implementing several oversight measures and identifies problem areas that will need to be addressed in order to improve healthcare quality in IHS hospitals. See companion report: Indian Health Service Hospitals: Longstanding Challenges Warrant Focused Attention to Support Quality Care. Focuses on challenges related to quality reporting, Area Office vacancies, and health information technology.
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Indian Health Service Hospitals: Longstanding Challenges Warrant Focused Attention to Support Quality Care
Study completed in response to concerns over inadequate quality of care being provided in Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals. Included in the report are findings from a series of leadership and staff interviews, questionnaires, and document reviews. Recommendations for improving quality of care are made to IHS and the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Additional recommendations for improving quality through oversight measures can be found in the companion report: Indian Health Service Hospitals: More Monitoring Needed to Ensure Quality Care Addresses healthcare access difficulties, health workforce challenges, and more.
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Study completed in response to concerns over inadequate quality of care being provided in Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals. Included in the report are findings from a series of leadership and staff interviews, questionnaires, and document reviews. Recommendations for improving quality of care are made to IHS and the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Additional recommendations for improving quality through oversight measures can be found in the companion report: Indian Health Service Hospitals: More Monitoring Needed to Ensure Quality Care Addresses healthcare access difficulties, health workforce challenges, and more.
Date: 10/2016
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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